It is the responsibility of the leader to develop a vision for the people that they guide, then inspire them to follow that vision. In the salon realm, it’s also important for owners to carve out leadership opportunities for their team members so they may continue to grow. Great leadership requires continual self-education, so we asked each of these honorees which leadership book or program influences them the most. 

AVALON SALON AND SPA
Deer Park, IL
avalondeerpark.com
Bonnie and August Conte
SQUARE FEET: 5,300  
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 50
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
INFLUENCE: No Compromise Leadership
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda 
NAIL CARE: OPI, Essie 
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, ZeeZor 
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, ISPA, PBA
“In an effort to become a better leader for my team, I attend countless industry events and conferences. Time is carved out to read at least six business books each year and share insights with my leadership team.”

HEADLINES THE SALON
Encintas, CA
headlinesthesalon.com
Gayle Fulbright and David Linde
SQUARE FEET: 2,900   
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 42
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $78
INFLUENCE: Be A Person of Impact
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Eufora, Zenagen
COLOR: L’Oreal Professionnel, Eufora, Pulp Riot
SKIN CARE: Yonka, Gloskin Beauty  
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, ZeeZor, Zipwhip, Groupme
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Green Circle
“We were introduced to Dr. Jackie Freiberg and her book, Be A Person of Impact. We reviewed each chapter with our leadership team, focusing on a clear vision, letting our team know how much we care, sharing the importance of trust, developing communication and learning to delegate.”

IHLOFF SALON AND DAY SPA
Tulsa, OK
ihloffspa.com
Marilyn Ihloff
SQUARE FEET: 6,000; 4,000; 1,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 125
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE:  $50
INFLUENCE: Tao Te Ching
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda 
NAIL CARE: SpaRitual, CND
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Communication Suite  
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, PBA, 2 to 10
“In the late 1990s, I finished a degree in finance from the University of Tulsa. This has given me a much stronger knowledge of planning, projecting and understanding financial statements.”

JONATHAN KANE SALON & SPA
Homewood, IL
jonathankanesalonspa.com
Larry J. Kane
SQUARE FEET: 2,450  
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 28
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $47
INFLUENCE: Creating Customer Evangelists
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda 
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Lucrece
NAIL CARE: OPI 
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Salon Clouds Plus
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, PBA
“An example of seeing the leadership in others is our director of operations, Tina Fagan. She helped me immensely in 2019 by developing the staff theme for the year of Gratitude, Intention and Focus. Without her partnership and leadership, I believe we wouldn’t be the salon business we are today.”

K CHARLES SALONS
San Antonio, TX
kcharlesco.com
Holly Thalman, Chase Thalman
SQUARE FEET: 6,000; 5,500; 3,500; 1,745; 750 
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 70
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
INFLUENCE: Good to Great
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda   
NAIL CARE: CND, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Salon Clouds Plus 
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10 
“The biggest challenge as a leader is to look in the mirror and figure out how to get out of a rut, be open to change and do things differently. I have learned to adapt—it’s a challenge but also a huge reward, because it’s working.”

KAREN ALLEN SALON AND SPA
Riverside, CA
karenallensalon.com
Karen Nguyen
SQUARE FEET: 2,500; 2,400  
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 47
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE:  $65
INFLUENCE: Dare to Lead
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda   
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Salon Clouds Plus, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10 
“Each of our master stylists is responsible for one or two new stylists. They check in daily with their mentees, discuss any challenges and celebrate any accomplishments. We have a monthly mentor lunch to recap progress, answer any questions that new stylists might have, celebrate goals and set new ones.”

LOGAN 14
Washington, D.C.
logan14salonspa.com
Michael Londner, Wendi Dofflemyer, Michael Hodges
SQUARE FEET: 6,000  
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 48
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $80
INFLUENCE: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda   
NAIL CARE: OPI, Essie, CND
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, ZeeZor, iMatrix
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“We developed a Cultural Advisory Board with democratically elected brand ambassadors from each department to help improve overall happiness in work life at Logan 14. The mission of this board is to assist in maintaining and refining our culture.”

LUX SALON
Fullerton, CA
luxsalon.com
Wade Zylstra and James Cook
SQUARE FEET: 3,000 
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 37
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
INFLUENCE: Nordstrom’s merchandising, buying and customer service values
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda   
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“Our ultimate goal is getting all our people comfortable with retailing by understanding the how and why. If our staff is laser-focused, there’s nothing stopping us from becoming the number-one Aveda retailer in California.”

NURTUR SALON + SPA
Columbus, OH
nurtursalon.com
Patrick Thompson
SQUARE FEET: 4,000; 4,000, 1,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 118
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE:  $45
INFLUENCE: Fierce Conversations
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda  
COLOR: Aveda  
SKIN CARE: Aveda   
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Zenoti, Millennium, ZeeZor, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: 2 to 10
“We believe an effective leader reflects each of our Behaviors for Success. These are a stepping stone for growth and have proven to be a gauge in which to measure the leadership potential of a team member. An effective leader also must have the trust of the team and be aligned with our mission, values and culture.”

WILLO
Roseville, CA
willosalon.com
Maz Sedaq
SQUARE FEET: 2,200; 1,880; 1,790    
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 65
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
INFLUENCE: The Manager
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda 
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Presence AI, ZeeZor 
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10 
“My journey to becoming a leader started with the death of my son. I needed space to grieve, but I also needed to stay busy. I left my role as a hairdresser to focus on my role as the owner. I set up a home office and delegated in-salon responsibilities to trusted team members. I became focused on communication and efficiency.”

Additional Honorees:
Artel Salon, Vancouver, BC
Be Inspired Salon, Inc. Madison, WI
Bellezza Avanti Spa/Salon, Wadsworth, OH
Ginger Bay Salon & Spa, St. Louis, MO
La Luma Salon & Academy, Guelph, ON
Maggie The Salon, Pembroke Pines, FL
Nuovo Salon Group, Sarasota, FL
Posh Salon and Day Spa, Kokomo, IN
RedBloom Salon, Calgary, AB
Spa Bleu, West Dundee, IL
The Studio for Hair, Farmington Hills, MI
Urban Betty Salon, Austin, TX